Canadian Rockies Valley Alberta / Icefields Parkway / Fine Art Print / Canvas / Acrylic / Metal / Photography

Spending time in the Canadian Rockies, it's not hard to find spectacular views. However the weather can change in an instant, and you might find yourself trapped in a sudden blizzard or torrential downpour with no way out! Driving on the Icefields Parkway is a leap of faith that you will make it safely to your destination without incident.

On the day I was due to head north on the Icefields Parkway, the drive was delayed by a not so quick stop at Lake Louise. Having heard the legendary tales of parking being as precious as the Ring Of Power from Lord of the Rings, our original intent was to just drive through so we'd be familiar with the situation before our scheduled visit later in the week. We never expected to actually stop there.

As luck would have it - there was parking available in the main lot! Of course we HAD to stop and look around. Which we did. For SIX hours. We hiked, enjoyed lunch at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (wonderful) and just enjoyed the incredible location despite the overcast skies.

We didn't end up leaving until sometime around 4:30 in the afternoon. It was June, so it was daylight for seemingly forever. We approached the entrance to the Icefields Parkway and stopped for a mandatory check in. The attendant informed us that the parkway had been closed most of the day due to a sudden snowstorm! Oh no! Our reservations were in Jasper for that night (which now seemed to be approaching quite fast!).

Ahhh - but we were in luck - the parkway had JUST been reopened. She asked if we were comfortable driving in snow. Pssshh. Of course. In a rental car. When we're from the south. No problem. We weren't going to let a bit of snow stop us.

Off we went, marveling at the beautiful scenery and stopping at what seemed like every possible place for more photo ops. Fortunately the road was mostly clear for our trip.

We drove through snow, clear roads, sunny skies and every iteration of weather you can imagine. This location was a random stop along the road along a hiking trail. As we gaped in amazement, I set up and started shooting. It’s been a favorite of my family every since.